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Alex Ovechkin says that he has yet to make a decision about his future and will do so in the summer.

In a teaser for a conversation airing Wednesday night with Washington Capitals radio announcer John Walton, the franchise’s captain said that he will speak with his family and team executives, including owner Ted Leonsis, before deciding what to do next.

The Capitals have four games remaining in the regular season and currently sit five points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Ovechkin is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the season.

Ovechkin will turn 41 in September and has been remarkably durable throughout his career, only playing fewer than 70 games during the regular season three times over his 21-year NHL season He noted that his health will play a factor in his decision. “You just have to be smart about it,” he said.

Last April, Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer with his 895th goal, breaking a tie with Wayne Gretzky. He’s followed up that record-breaking feat with his 20th season of at least 30 goals in 2025-26.

Earlier this season, Ovechkn became the first NHL player to ever reach the 900-goal mark. He now has 928 in his NHL career to go along with nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the regular season's top goal scorer, eight NHL First-Team All-Star Honors, and three Hart Memorial Trophies as league MVP, among numerous other awards, including a Stanley Cup title and playoff MVP in 2018.

Ovechkin, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft, is 10th all-time in league history in points with 1,684 over 1,569 regular-season games.

"When you love something, you do it with heart," Ovechkin said. "Obviously, I love playing hockey, I love scoring goals."

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Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve McMichael has been diagnosed with Stage 3 (of 4) chronic traumatic encephalopathy, according to the Concussion & CTE Foundation.

McMichael, who died last year at age 67 following a five-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was part of the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl-winning team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

A degenerative brain disease, CTE has often been found in those who played contact sports, such as football, and others who have experience repetitive head trauma. It’s known to cause cognitive decline, depression and violent mood swings. It can only be diagnosed after death.

While he was still alive, McMichael pledged to donate his brain.

“By sharing Steve’s diagnosis, we want to raise awareness of the clear connection between CTE and ALS,” said McMichael’s wife, Misty, in a statement. “Too many NFL players are developing ALS during life and diagnosed with CTE after death. I donated Steve’s brain to inspire new research into the link between them.”

NFL players are more than four times more likely to develop ALS compared to the general male population, according to a 2021 study led by Harvard Medical School and the Boston University CTE Center researchers.

McMichael, who was also known as Mongo, was a five-time All-Pro who played 13 of his 15 NFL seasons for the Bears. He was a key member as a first-team All-Pro for the famed 1985 Bears defense that anchored the franchise's only run to a Super Bowl championship.